Mining
"I'm a doctor, not a coal miner." ::- Leonard McCoy on not mining Mining is the process of extracting resources, usually mineral resources from objects like planets and asteroids. Mining operations were an important part of the economy of civilizations throughout the galaxy. Earth and United Earth The American town of Carbon Creek operated a mine in the 1950s. ( ). At some point a mine shaft was constructed near the Presidio in San Francisco. ( ) By 2024 humans had begun to mine the sea floor on Earth. ( ) United Earth operated off-world mining colonies, including Orpheus Mining Colony on the moon, which was a private business set up by John Frederick Paxton's father. Often these facilities would not have artificial gravity, as it was not practical. ( ). In 2154 Starfleet briefly secured an alliance with Harrad-Sar for mining a planet rich in magnesite, but this proved to be a scam. ( ) Mining in the Federation 23rd century By the 23rd century the Federation operated several large mining colonies. Some people even spent the majority of their lives underground in mines. For example, the mining operation on Janus VI discovered some of the richest deposits of many sought-after ores in all of the federation, including Uranium, Sirium, Platinum and Pergium. ( ). The Federation member world Ardana was the only known source of Zenite. A lithium mine was located on Rigel XII. ( ) The Federation also mined non-member planets through concessions. In 2367, the federation competed with the Klingon Empire for the right to mine recently discovered supplies of Topaline on Capella IV. In the end the mining rights went to the Federation. A request to mine the Halkan homeworld however was disapproved by the Halkans. ( ) The Merchant Marine sometimes performed geological surveys for mining companies, for example on Alpha Carinae II. ( ). Criminals could be sentenced to mining borite for the rest of their lives. ( ) Despite the major role of mining in the Federation, founding member Vulcan had no mining interests in the 2360s. Mining disputes were a major factor in the admission of Coridan to the Federation. Vulcan ambassador Sarek accused the Tellarites of conducting illegal mining operations on the planet. 24th century By the 24th century, Federation starships like the Intrepid Class were often autonomous enough to extract materials they needed themselves. Nonetheless, mining continued to be important for the Federation. Amongst the diplomatic training scenarios on the was a mining dispute. ( ) In the 2370s, a radical new method of mining was developed on Tyrus VII: the Particle Fountain Project. By 2378, many EMH Mark Is were repurposed for dilithium mining. ( ) A mine on Dytallix B, exploited by the Dytallix Mining Company, was abandoned at some point before 2364. ( ). In 2364 an accident devastated a mining operation in the Sigma III system. ( ). In the 2370s sulfur mines existed on one of Jupiter's moons. ( ). Between the discovery of the Bajoran Wormhole and the beginning of the Dominion War, the Federation also started mining operations in the Gamma Quadrant. In early 2373, Captain Benjamin Sisko led a team to the Gamma Quadrant planet Torga IV to see if the cormaline was worth mining. It was a Vulcan expedition mining Bakrinium in the Gamma Quadrant that discovered remnants of the Hur'q civilization. ( ) Klingon Empire The Federation believed over-mining of Praxis was the cause of its spectacular destruction. ( ). The Empire also maintained dilithium mines on Rura Penthe. Klingons were known to employ morally questionable practices from time to time. In the 2150s a Unnamed Alpha and Beta Quadrant planets#Deuterium mining colony operated by an unknown species was intimidated by a Klingon crew into giving them part of its deuterium each year. ( ). In 2370, the Duras sisters illegally mined a rich magnesite deposit in the Kalla system, which was under Pakled control. ( ) Cardassian Union During the 24th century, Cardassian Union devolved into fascism after resources on Cardassia Prime were depleted, and decided to Occupy Bajor so that it could be intensively mined. They employed Strip mining and changed the course of the Glyrhond River to assist their mining operations. Also, a mining accident at Gallitep fostered an outbreak of Kalla-Nohra Syndrome on the planet. ( ) After Bajor was abandoned, mining rights were a talking point in peace treaty negotiations between the Cardassian Union and Bajor in 2371. Volan III, a federation colony where mining occurred, was turned over to Cardassia under the Federation-Cardassian Treaty. The Cardassian who assumed Raymond Boone's identity operated a ladarium mining sluice on the planet. ( ) )}} Other mining operations By the 22nd century the Tellarite Mining Consortium was engaged in mining fire salt. They operated freighters to transport the mineral. In 2153 the freighter Tezra was captured while hauling a load of fire salt near Klingon space. ( ). Vulcan had a mining agreement with Coridan in 2151. ( ). Also during the 22nd century an Andorian Mining Consortium may or may not have existed. ( ) The Paraagan operated a mining colony at Paraagan II. ( ). In 2153 the Enterprise visited a Trellium mining planet in the Delphic Expanse which was operated by 31 different species. ( ) By the 24th century the Romulan Star Empire was dependent on dilithium mining on Remus. ( ) They also used large mining vessels such as the Narada for spacefaring operations. ( ) There was mining operation on Koralis III that had been abandoned by 2375. ( ). The Tigan family ran a large Pergium mining operation in the Sapporo system. ( ). Telfas Prime also had a mining community. Delta Quadrant Countless mining colonies were operated by many species across the Delta Quadrant. Often trade with these colonies proved invaluable for the during its odyssey through the quadrant. For example, in 2374 Voyager acquired needed materials from a mining colony on Hemikek IV, the rights to which were owned by a consortium of non-aggressive people. ( ) At the border of the Nekrit Expanse a support outpost existed for mining and trading ships. A map dealer on the station sold co-ordinate charts for all the local mining colonies. ( ) The Talaxians were also active in mining. Neelix worked at a mining colony for some time. The Talaxians also operated a mining colony on Prema II. Additionally, a group of aliens targeted a Talaxian asteroid colony for mining in 2377, forcing the residents to fight them off. ( ) Automated Personnel Units created by the Pralor species used asteroid mining pods to mine asteroids. ( ). A Sakari mining colony in the Nekrit Expanse was attacked by the Borg some point before 2373. Afterward the miners decided to retreat into the mines, hiding their society. ( ) A Garan Mining Colony was infected by macroviruses in 2373. ( ). A colony on Telsius Prime served as a bolomite mine. ( ). An unnamed class Y planet was governed by the Ord'mirit Mining Treaty. ( ). The Gammadan mining facility suffered an accident in 2377. ( ). A Nuu'Bari mining consortium made use of holograms, which brought them into conflict with Iden and his followers. ( ). On the bronze age planet of the Takarians, trade in mining futures existed. ( ) The Waters, an artificial planetoid composed entirely of water, was at last report being gradually destroyed by the mining plants of its inhabitants, the Moneans. ( ) Mined materials *Bakrinium *Bolomite *Cormaline *Deuterium *Dilithium *Fire salt *Gallicite *Iridium *Ladarium *Magnesite *Pergium *platinum *Sirium *Topaline *Uranium *Zenite See also *Miner, person who works in the field of mining. *Mining rights *Mining colony *Mines of Mercury *Dytallix Mining Company *Fractioning tower External link * de:Mine (Bergbau) Category:Geoscience